The Warmth of Duscur
by BroomballKraken
Summary: As the army marches towards Fhirdiad, Lorenz realizes that he is ill-equipped to combat the cold climate of Faerghus. Fortunately for him, Dedue notices, and offers what assistance he can.


I'd like to thank Michelle Dix (MichelleDixArt) on Twitter for dragging me into yet another pit of rare pair hell with her amazing artwork. This particular fic is inspired by a few panels in one of her comics, so like, go look her up and stuff! Anyway, thanks for reading!

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Even though Lorenz has spent some time in the Kingdom while studying at the Royal Academy of Sorcery, he had neglected to remember that the Alliance had a much, much warmer climate than Faerghus. Lorenz wrapped his arms around himself as he shivered and tried to rub some warmth into his practically frozen hands. The army had paused their march to Fhirdiad to make camp for the night, so while the campfires were being built, Lorenz was left to try and keep himself warm.

Lorenz had found out rather quickly that his armor, while effective enough at keeping him from being killed in combat, was not as effective at combating the uncomfortable cold of Faerghus. A shiver coursed through his body as he sniffed and tried to shrug himself deeper into his armor.

A shadow suddenly fell over him, and Lorenz practically jumped out of his skin when he turned and found Dedue standing beside him. Gods, how could someone so large and intimidating manage to sneak up on him like that?

"Ah, Dedue! You startled me." Lorenz said, clearing his throat as an embarrassed blush appeared high on his cheeks.

"Apologies." Dedue said as his neutral gaze bore into Lorenz, causing him to shift uncomfortably on his feet.

"Er, did you need something?"

Dedue was silent for a few moments, before he reached up and removed his scarf. Lorenz blinked in confusion as Dedue held it out in front of him. What on earth was he thinking?

"Here, take it." Dedue said, quickly wrapping the scarf around Lorenz's neck before the latter could protest.

"Wait-" Lorenz started, but he stopped when the warmth of the scarf hit his neck, and the rest of his words dissolved into a relieved sigh. His eyes widened suddenly, when the smell of it hit his nose. It smelled like...Duscur spices mixed with various greenhouse flowers. Lorenz found it...oddly comforting, and it took every ounce of his willpower to not close his eyes and take a deep breath through his nose to savor the scent. How embarrassing would that be?

"You are not well-equipped for the cold." Dedue said bluntly, and Lorenz just shrugged and averted his gaze.

"Ah, yes...Well, it is considerably warmer in Gloucester territory and the rest of the Alliance. I did not take the climate differences here in the Kingdom into account when preparing for this leg of our march."

"I see."

Silence fell between them, and Lorenz cleared his throat awkwardly. It was certainly odd that Dedue had approached him so casually. Usually, he kept close to Dimitri and said very little to anyone else, especially those like Lorenz who hailed from the Alliance or the Empire. Dedue was notorious for being a man of few words, but yet here he was, talking to Lorenz of all people out of the blue. It was...perplexing, to say the least. Lorenz continued to mull it over as he rung his freezing hands together, trying in vain to warm them up.

"...Your hands seem cold too, Lorenz."

"P-Pardon?"

Lorenz was pulled from his thoughts when Dedue took his hands, and he flinched slightly when the warmth made contact with his freezing fingers. Lorenz was stunned as Dedue's larger fingers started kneading his hands to chase away the numbing cold. Lorenz's face was certainly not cold anymore, for he had flushed about five different shades of red in the few seconds that had passed.

"You-You really do not have to-" Lorenz started, but Dedue shook his head and cut him off.

"I insist. If your fingers were to get frostbitten, that would cause your friends worry." Lorenz watched as Dedue paused and finally turned his gaze to his own, his striking seafoam green eyes causing Lorenz's to widen at the sheer beauty of them.

"And…" Dedue continued, the corners of his mouth turning up ever-so-slightly, "that would cause me to worry as well." Lorenz felt like he had just been punched in the gut. Was Dedue..._smiling_ at him? His heart was hammering hard in his chest as he struggled to form a coherent thought.

"I, ah, well...T-Thank you, Dedue. I-I really appreciate this. I, ahem, must insist on treating you to some of House Gloucester's finest tea when we reach the next town to, ah, properly thank you." Lorenz said, and he was frustrated at how much he was stumbling over his words.

"I am looking forward to it." Dedue said. Another smile, another punch to Lorenz's gut, and he wasn't sure if he could handle much more of this endearing side of Dedue without his heart giving out.

"Dedue! Could you help me with something?"

As if on cue, Lorenz was rescued as Dedue turned his head when Dimitri's voice rang out across the camp, and he pulled his hands from Lorenz's. The biting cold immediately assaulted the exposed skin, causing Lorenz to frown slightly. It was all because of the cold, surely, and certainly not because of the loss of contact with those strong, gentle hands that carried the warmth of Duscur with them.

Dedue turned to go, but he paused as he removed his gloves. Lorenz watched with a furrowed brow as Dedue slipped a glove onto his hand and then the other. Lorenz stared at Dedue with a quizzical look on his face, and his heart leapt into his throat when Dedue placed a firm, but oddly gentle, hand on his shoulder.

"Keep them, and my scarf, until you can buy your own. Take care of yourself, Lorenz." Dedue said. Lorenz watched as he turned and walked away, and he gasped as he finally let out the breath that he didn't know he had been holding. He stared down at his hands, turning them over to admire the beautiful shade of blue that perfectly matched Dedue's scarf.

"Beautiful…" Lorenz mumbled, but his eyes were not on the gloves that he wore anymore, but instead gazing across the camp at Dedue as he helped Dimitri carry some crates. Seafoam eyes met amethyst, and Lorenz quickly looked away, his face flushing as a warmth he had never felt before spread throughout his chest and to the rest of his body.

'_Huh,' _Lorenz thought, a small smile crossing his face as he lifted Dedue's scarf over his face, _'I may not need to buy those gloves after all…' _As long as Dedue continued to share the warmth of Duscur with him, Lorenz need not worry about the cold any longer.


End file.
